When wire type and rod type anodes are connected to the lead wire or conductor cable for the anode/anode assembly, the connection or joint must be both electrically sound and waterproof. If the connection is not waterproof, there is an almost certain risk of connection failure. To that end, various approaches have been taken to seal the electrical joint and isolate it from the ambient surroundings. Connection failures typically occur because the anode connection is almost always in some electrolyte, such as soil or water. As the DC current flows through the electrical joint and if it is exposed to the moisture or soil, it will corrode and fail. Where the structure to be protected comprises a cable, whose conductors are typically copper the anode used is generally made of a noble metal combination, such as mixed metal oxide (MMO) over titanium or platinum over niobium/copper. However other anode materials may be used.
Heretofore the electrical joint connecting a wire or ribbon anode to a cable or other elongated structure has been sealed and insulated using a series of steps of hand applied materials. In the simplest form, the electrical joint is covered by heat shrink sleeve that may or may not contain a mastic or sealant that melts when heated. The sleeve is slid over the connection and heated with a heat gun either electric or propane. The process is all done by hand. Matcor, Inc., a well known company in the field of cathodic protection systems, and which is the licensee of the subject invention, has typically taken the foregoing approach to sealing and insulating wire anode joints. In particular, the standard connection made by Matcor, Inc. consists of several steps including: brushing the connection (the electrical joint) with a sealant, such as 3M SKOTCHKOTE™ structural polyurea coating, sliding a heat shrinkable sleeve over the connection, partially heating the heat shrinkable sleeve and while it is still open at one end and then injecting an additional sealing material, e.g., a hot melt sealant, into the sleeve using a hot melt gun. After that is accomplished the heat shrinkable sleeve is heated further to finishing heating and shrinking it about the joint.
In some simple older forms of waterproofing, the electrical joint is covered with a brush-on sealer such as the 3M SKOTCHKOTE™ structural polyurea coating and then wrapped with two layers of tape. This connection is rarely used today.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, all of the above prior art approaches to sealing the electrical joint rely on the workmanship of the person doing the work, so that in some cases a the joint may not be sealed and insulated properly. The subject invention addresses that problem.
All references cited and/or identified herein are specifically incorporated by reference herein.